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March 19, 1929. F. J. SPRAGUE ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Oct. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet ,4 TTORNE VS.

March 19, 1929'. F. J. 'SPRAGUE ELECTRIC TOAST Filed Oct. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-5heet 2 y VEAM OR. BY %=W m ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK J'. SPRAGUE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC TOASTER.

Application filed October 5, 1926.

This invention has for its object a change in the form and construction of a certain type of electric toaster, so as to make it more convenient, efficient and accessible in use.

Of the forms of toasters which have hitherto been used there are three general types. One of these is of the flat stove construction, with the heating element disposed in a hori zontal plane, and with only manual means for turning or reversing the toasted object.

Another has a pair of heating elements in parallel proximate vertical planes, between which is inserted the substance to be toastedit being removed manually, or automatically after a predetermined time interval.

The third type is the more common one, and consists of a pressed or cast metal base, with or without addition of non-metallic footings to protect a table from injury, on which base is supported a carrier frame which contains a single heating element disposed in a vertical plane mid-way in the frame section.

This section usually has two opposite side openingssupported or hinged in various ways, so that one side at a time of two individual toasting substances may be simultaneously but independently brought near the central heating element.

In many makes of this third type the side openings or gates are hinged at the bottom, with pivot hinges, so that they can be turned down by hand and the toasted substance be reversed; and when the down pressure is released the toast carrier will return to its vertical position and be kept there by spring pressure.

In other makes the pivot hinges are omitted and the carrier is held in vertical position by a friction tongue at the top.

With both these forms there is also sometimes provided means for causing the toast to slide down and reverse its position when the carrier is pulled down.

In other forms, each toast carrier has two sides instead of one, pivoted in the center, and hinged at the bottom or side, so that when thecarrier is swung away from the heating element it may also be rotated about its central pivot, thus reversing the side of the toast with respect to heat exposure.

In all the types and forms referred to, current from the source of supply is provided by flexible connections to either fixed or detachable contacts at the toaster; but in the third type, that which provides for two independ- Serial No. 139,696.

out toastings with a single central heating element, there is a specific restriction which interferes with the ready and convenient use of the toaster.

In no form of toaster is the heat entirely localized. It spreads until, with any ordinary period of use, the base or wall as well as the top become very hot. To guard against injury to a table on which it may be used, nonmetallic supports of low heat conducting properties may be provided, or a heat insulating mat may be used.

In consequence, it is impossible to have the two oppositely situated toast carriers equally disposed to the best convenience, for if one carrier is in the nearest and most convenient position to the one watching the toast the other carrier is at the farthest and relatively lnconvenient side; while if the toaster is so placed that the carriers are at equal distances from the watcher they are both inconveniently situated.

If, moreover, more than one person is situated at a table, and each wishes to use the toaster, it presents to each various angles of inconvenience. To remedy this, the toaster is sometimes moved about at different angles with regard to the source of supply, but this proceeding is manifestly unsatisfactory. I have, therefore, devised a form of the third type of toaster in which, wherever situated on the table, and regardless of the number or location of the people sitting at it, the hinged sides of the toaster may easily be brought into the most satisfactory position for any inclividual watcher or user, and thus the utility and-convenience in use of the toaster be materially increased.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated. by corresponding marks of reference:

Fig. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of a current type of toaster, showing top and base modified to include my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the base, and also of the lower part of the heating element carrier.

Fig. 3 shows the normal vertical position of one of the hinged toast carriers and the toast near to the heating element.

Fig. 4 shows the carrier being depressed, while the toasted element is still left in a vertical position.

Fig. 5 shows the carrier depressed to below a longitudinal position, and the toasted eleto the restoration of the carrier to the normal vertical posltlon.

Fig. 6 shows a special form of pivot union,

support and electrical connections.

Fig. 7 shows one of the details of the same.

Figs. 8 and 9 show two different angular positions of the heating element and toast carrier with regard to a preferably round base.

Referring now to Fig. 1, A is a hollow metal base, to which is joined and pivoted at its central point a heat element carrier frame B, having on each of two opposite sides a hinged wing or toast carrierC. Vl ithin the frame and between the two wings or flaps a heating element l) is arranged in'a vertical plane, and is supported by insulators E in the inner section F of the frame B. This is a-common form of construction.

The carrier frame B is free to rotate completely about its center, upon the supporting base A, to which it is held, so that with the latter fixed in location each of the toa. t carriers C may be brought into like positions with regard to any external point.

To provide a pivot on whichframc B may turn while supported by and pivotally clampeo at its lower end only to the carrier base, well as to provide current supply from the base to the heater element, I use a double circuit electrical connection which also acts as a union between base A and frame B.

Altho allowing free rotary pivot motion, it.

is at the same time electrically insulated from both base andframe.

in the form shownin Fig. 2 an insulating cylinder G carries two metallic rings H, H, which are connected to vertical studs J, J, which are in turn connected to the two terminals of the heating element D. These terminals are insulated by washers from the metal bottom of frame B; and between cy inder G and the under side of the upper part of base A is interposed an insulating flange K, which serves to interlock base A and frame B when the terminals J and J are looked in place.

To get current to the terminals J, J, through rings H, H there are provided two sliding brush contacts L, L, electrically connected to a plug connection M, M as shown in F 1, from which flexible connections are ma de to the outside source of electric supply.

Between the base A and frame B is also interpolated a bearing washer N, so as prefera.bly-altl1o not necessarilyto separate the base and frame, thus making it easier to turn B about the pivot, which in this particuar form is the insulating cylinder G and its flange extension K, which may be integral with it, or separate. As shown in Fig. 1, the connection from the external source of supply at the heater element terminals is made by sliding connections exterior to the pivot connections.

In another, and perhaps preferable form, shown in Fig. 6, the mechanical and electrical interlocking between base A and frame B is provided by a two-part connector made of two similar parts of insulating material 7), 3), each provided with recesses r, 1', into which interlock offset ears or punches s, s in A and B, so as to make them integral when assembled.

Each part has a circular groove 6 cut in it, which encloses a metal cylinder at electrically connected to terminal studs or screws '0, '1). Continuity of one part of the electric circuit, between the terminals 4), o,-one of which is connected to one terminal of the heater element and the other to the outside source of supply-is made through the cylinders a, a by a split ring to (Figs. 6 and 7), preferably of thin spring phosphor bronze, of length greater than that of the cylinder u.

T he other connecti n is through the center locking pivot spindle P, connected by lugs q to the terminal studs or screws 23, a, one of which is connected to the remaining terminal of the heater element, and the other to one of the circuits of the external source of electric supply.

The washer N is preferably used to sop-- arate the base A and the frame B, to make turning easier and to prevent possible scratching of the top of the base A.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the usual form base-a rectangle-but the preferable form in my invention, both for utility and appearance, is a circular one, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which also show two different angular positions of the rotatable heating element carrier and the fixed position of the base and electrical supply.

lVhile various methods of automatically reversing the materialbeing toasted may be used, I illustrate one method in Figs. 3, l and 5. In this, the cover 0 is interlocked, during a part of its depressing movement, with a short section B similarly pivoted, one end of the latter projecting through an opening in the lower part of C, and the other having an upper extension lip. The toast T, is carried upon R and normally held in vertical position by C, the inner side being next to the heating element, as in Fig. 8. lVhen C is first being depressed, as in Fig. i, there is no motion of R or 'l,'but as it is quickly mover down to the position shown in Fig. 5, it 'ill have engaged lt, pushed its inner extension against '1, shoving it outwards, when it will ordinarily slide down along the guard wire 5:) on the inside of C, so that when U is restm'ed to the vertical position the facing of T to the heating element will be reversed. A nonreversible action may be readily got by a slow movement of C.

There are various other methods, manual or automatic, of reversing the facing of the toast to the locating element, and I do not, therefore, limit my invention to the particular kind shown in this application. But whatever the type used I provide, while maintaining a supply base in a fixed position, a means of rotating the heating element and the toasted substance I to any desired angle in relation thereto, and at the same time provide for any desired visible relation of the angular position of the toast to the base, as well as varying its facing position with regard to the heating element.

I do not, therefore, limit myself to the details of construction shown, which are simply typical, given for clearness of understanding; and no undue limitation should be deduced. therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as possible in View of the prior art.

While the claims in this application include an electric toaster which may utilize the type of connector shown in Figure 6, he particular form of rotatable electric connector shown in such figure is claimed in my divisional application, Ser. No. 324,689. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary base and a vertical heating element carried in a frame pivoted on the base, a toast-carrier carried on said frame, said heating element and toast-carrier adapted to rotate bodily together without changing their relative position.

2. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary base, connections to an external source of electrical supply, a heating element, means for conveying current from said connections to said heating element and a toast-carrier mounted for bodily movement with. and movable with respect to said heating element, said heating element and toastcarrier adapted to rotate together to assume any angular position relative to the base without changing their position with respect to each other.

8. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary base with connections to an external source of electrical supply, a vertical frame mounted for rotation on said base and having opposite and. independently opening toast-carrying sides, a vertical heating elementcarried by said frame, and a rotatable connection forming a continuous electrical connection between said heating element and said connections to an external. source.

4t. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary base, a heating element rotatable with reference to the base about a central vertical axis, a source of electrical supply and an electric connection between the heating element and such source, one part of such electrical connection being the axis around which the heating element and frame revolve, and the other part of such connection being external to such axis.

5. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary base, a vertical frame rotatable with respect to the base, a heating ele ment carried by such frame, and a central axis forming the only mechanical connection be tween the base and the frame, and electrically connecting one terminal. of the heating element with source of electrical supply.

6. An electric toaster saving a fixed base and a vertical frame rotatable with reference to such base, a heating element carried in the frame, an electric connection including two body pa one of which engages the under side of the base and the other of which enthe upper side of the lower portion of the frame, and a central axis holding the two parts together.

7. An electric toaster having a fixed base anda heater element carried thereby and retata le about a vertical axis, and electric coi1- nection between them consistitng of two separate body parts, one of which engages the upper side of the bottom of the frame carrying the heating element and is connected to the terminals of "he latter, and. the other of which engages the under side of the stationary base and is connected to an external source of supply, and means for making electrical sliding connection between the fixed and the re tating elements.

8. In an electric toaster, the combination of a supporting base, means for making detachable conn ctions to an external source of electric supply, a vertically disposed carrier having a heating element, and having movable toastsupporting sides, and a pivot connectien mechanically connecting the base and carries together for relative rotation and serving as a means of conducting current from the fixed base to the movable heating element.

9. In an electric toaster, the combination of a stationary frame, connections to an external source of electrical supply, heating element revoluble to assume any angular position around an axis relative tothebase,aconnection between the base and the heating element including a portion stationary with the base and a portion movable with the heating element, terminals carried respectively by these portions and connected one to the heating ele-' ment and the other to one of the connections to the external source, resilient means elcctrically connecting these terminals, and an element forming the of revolution of the heating element mechanically connecting the heating elementend base together for revolution and forming electrical connection between the heating element and the other of the connections to an external source.

New York, Sept. 22, 1926.

FRANK J. SPRAGUE. 

